Abstract [en]

PDF-files are to become a native file format in all prepress supplier workflows during 2006. This will give an opportunity to automate and develop a more stream lined prepress workflow. It is desirable to secure digital files by preflight the files early in the process. The objective with this project is therefore to find software that can automate parts of the preflight process and also to build up a well-functioning preflight workflow for preflighting both PDF-files and native files.

Meetings have been held with preflight suppliers to find a solution for how to automate parts of the preflight in the prepress workflow. Seven preflight software companies demonstrated the possibilities with their products and four of these were chosen for continuing working with. This procedure in later in the text referred to as step 1.

The chosen suppliers were the ones that could check most of a number of chosen parameters from TPPS, Tetra Pak Print Specification. Other preferences taken into account when choosing preflight suppliers were for example if the preflight software could create an automated report after preflighting, the amount of efforts invested in development of preflight software and also the amount of support the companies could offer Tetra Pak.

Four preflight suppliers demonstrated their software at a further occasion, which also included at least one day of training for the people responsible for the project. The training days were followed by several weeks of testing and evaluation of the software, referred to as step 2. This evaluation made it possible to find a well-functioning workflow, which is to be implemented in the leading factory for the converting standard line project, for additional evaluation.